To trust in Him

"In God, we live every commonplace as well as the most exalted moment of our being. To trust in Him when no need is pressing, when things seem going right of themselves, may be harder than when things seem going wrong."

--George MacDonald

Beauty of the soul

"Inasmuch as love grows in you, so beauty grows.  For love is the beauty of the soul."

--Saint Augustine

The path of petals

As I neared the communion rail
I saw it-
a path of white rose petals
leading past the hem
of her white satin gown,
past the bridegroom
to the altar,
to Him.
And I saw the path of thorns and dust
leading to Calvary,
the one the Bridegroom trod
in His blood-soaked robe
for His bride,
for us.
Two paths to Heaven-
the second one is loveliest.

(originally posted 1/11/09)

Loss

“We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it.”

--Sir James M. Barrie

The Feast of Saint Agnes

He lifts me to the golden doors;
The flashes come and go;
All heaven bursts her starry floors,
And strows her lights below,
And deepens on and up! the gates
Roll back, and far within
For me the Heavenly Bridegroom waits,
To make me pure of sin.
The sabbaths of Eternity,
One sabbath deep and wide--
A light upon the shining sea--
The bridegroom with his bride!

--from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Saint Agnes' Eve

Saint Agnes, pray for us. 

God's glory

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."

--George MacDonald

No other way

"[God desires] not that He may say to them, "Look how mighty I am, and go down upon your knees and worship", for power alone was never yet worthy of prayer; but that He may say thus: "Look, my children, you will never be strong but with My strength. I have no other to give you. And that you can get only by trusting in Me. I can not give it you any other way. There is no other way."

--George MacDonald